The North Coast times-eagle. (Wheeler, Oregon) 1971-2007, January 28, 1983, Image 2

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The North Coast times-eagle., January 28, 1983, Page 2, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextPage 2 WHAT WERE THEY L IK E ? (Q u e s tio n s & A n s w e rs ) V ie t Nam » 1) D id th e p e o p le o f V ie t N a m u s e la n te r n s of s to n e ? 2) D id t h e y h o ld c e r e m o n i e s to r e v e r e n c e th e o p e n in g o f b u d s ? 3) W e r e t h e y i n c l i n e d to r i p p l i n g l a u g h t e r ? 4) D id t h e y u s e b o n e a n d i v o r y , ja d e an d s il v e r , fo r o rn a m e n t? 5) H ad th e y a n e p ic p o e m ? 6 ) D id t h e y d i s t i n g u i s h b e t w e e n s p e e c h a n d s in g in g ? 1) S i r , t h e i r l i g h t h e a r t s t u r n e d to s t o n e . It is n o t r e m e m b e r e d w h e t h e r in g a r d e n s s to n e l a n t e r n s illu m in e d p le a s a n t w a y s . 2 ) P e r h a p s t h e y g a t h e r e d o n c e to d e l i g h t in b l o s s o m , b u t a f t e r th e c h ild r e n w e r e k ille d th e r e w e re no m o re b u d s. 3) S i r , l a u g h t e r i s b i t t e r to th e b u r n e d m o u th . 4) A d r e a m a g o , p e r h a p s . O r n a m e n t is f o r jo y . A ll t h e b o n e s w e r e c h a r r e d . 5) It is n o t r e m e m b e r e d . R e m e m b e r , m o s t w e r e p e a s a n t s ; t h e i r l if e w a s in r i c e a n d b a m b o o . W hen p e a c e f u l c lo u d s w e r e r e f l e c t e d in t h e p a d d i e s a n d th e w a t e r - b u f f a l o s t e p p e d s u r e l y a lo n g t e r r a c e s , m a y b e f a t h e r s t o l d t h e i r s o n s o ld t a l e s . W h e n b o m b s s m a s h e d th e m i r r o r s t h e r e w a s t i m e o n ly to s c r e a m . 6) T h e r e is a n e c h o y e t . i t is s a id , o f t h e i r s p e e c h w h ic h w a s lik e a s o n g . It i s r e p o r t e d t h e i r s in g i n g r e s e m b l e d t h e f l i g h t o f m o t h s in m o o n l i g h t . W ho c a n s a y ? It i s s i l e n t n o w . — D e n is e L e v e r to v ------ Qtyr N a rtl) (Coaal TIMES EAGLE A bi weekly newspaper published on alternate Fridays in Cannon Beach, Oregon, P.0 Box 189, (97110). 25 cents per issue over the counter. Subscriptions pend ing until application is made for | Second Class Mail permit. Michael Paul McCusker E d ito r & Publisher Michael Hurst, CommExPed George Grummet!. I ypesetter Che cocncnunicy scope « r <nc. a naturaC joQcfe grocery 'o w axws a te i, p a it a . ' x -ursswt coffa wwfttic Horteet c fatscS ' g ro u n d _ p « an u r\. 1 0 *6 S o l 1 0 -5 112 0 J W a rtn i Dr. ^ttC^LA, O X eruniec-raUicp H A IR PRUNING BY TREE a sasoon cutter, cannon beach r/G 436-1665 M ir F R O M P A G E O N E w o m e n w h o d e v o te t h e m s e l v e s to th e L e a g u e 's w o r k s a y o n ly o v e r t h e i r d e a d b o d i e s w ill A r lin g to n b u r y a GI w ho d ie d m u tila te d , u n s e e n , u n r e m a r k e d . A m e r i c a n s c a n d o a n y t h i n g . We c a n n a m e o u r d e a d . N o t a l w a y s , n o t e v e n in 1 9 8 3 , s a y m i l i t a r y f o r e n s i c s p e c i a l i s t s in H o n o lu lu . T h e y h a v e a t l e a s t fo u r s e ts of r e m a in s t h a t d e f y i d e n t i f i c a t i o n a n d c o u ld p r o p e r l y j o i n t h o s e " k n o w n b u t to G o d ," o n e e a c h f r o m th e tw o w o r l d w a r s a n d K o r e a , lo n g a g o e n t o m b e d in a P o t o m a c o v e r l o o k . T h e L e a g u e w o m e n c o m e to u s f r o m H o m e r , V e r g i l , B u l f in c h , f r o m a p r e h i s t o r i c , i n s t i n c t i v e t r a d itio n of d e c e n c y a n d r e v e r e n c e — of v ig ila n c e — t o w a r d m i s s i n g w a r r i o r s . H ow f i e r c e l y t h e y r e s i s t t h e i r l o s s ( t h e i r w id o w h o o d , in th e t y p i c a l c a s e ) . H o w a t t r a c t i v e , h o w o d d ly c o m p e l l i n g t h e i r r e s i s t a n c e m a k e s t h e m . A dd a b o x o f V i e t - N a m b o n e s to A r l i n g t o n , a n d w e w i l l t r u l y s e a l t h e i r m e n — an d th e m s e lv e s — f ro m h o p e , th e y s e e m to h a v e d e c i d e d . An i n a b i l i t y to a c c e p t t h e d e a t h o f a h u s b a n d o r so n , a b s e n t p h y s ic a l e v id e n c e , is u n d e r s t a n d a b l e . It is a s if a n o n y m o u s d e a t h u n d e r a r m s , in a r e m o t e , t r i p l e - c a n o p i e d C e n t r a l H i g h la n d s j u n g l e o r in th e c h o p o f t h e S o u th C h in a S e a — t h e w a r h a d a w ild g e o g r a p h y — s u g g e s t s to L e a g u e s u r v i v o r s t h e o ld e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l s a w f a m i l i a r to u n d e r g r a d u a t e s : If a t r e e f a l l s in a f o r e s t a n d n o o n e i s a r o u n d to s e e o r h e a r it c r a s h d o w n , d id i t r e a l l y c r a s h d o w n ? T h e b u r i a l o f th e d e a d a n d a s o l i c i t u d e f o r th e im p r is o n e d a r e c o r p o r a l w o rk s of m e r c y w e 11- f i x e d in t h e p r e s c r i p t i o n s o f J u d e o - C h r i s - t i a n m o r a l i t y . P u r s u e d w ith a b l in d v e n g e a n c e , th o u g h , p e r h a p s th e y a r e s o m e th in g e ls e . T h e r e is n o t a s h r e d of e v id e n c e th a t th e r e is a s in g le A m e r i c a n b e i n g h e l d a g a i n s t h i s w ill in a l l o f In d o c h in a . T h e r a v in g s of rig h tw in g S e n a to r s a n d R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s ; th e g o o fy c o m m a n d o r a i d s p l a n n e d a n d a l r e a d y s t a g e d b y p a id A s i a n t h u g s in s e a r c h o f G Is t i e d to s t a k e s in p a t h e t i c a l l y im a g in e d ju n g le h e llh o le s ; th e r id ic u lo u s a n d u t t e r l y c y n ic a l d e m a n d s of th e R e g a n ite s fo r a c o m p l e t e a c c o u n t i n g o f o u r M IA s w h e n o n e is s im p ly not p o s s ib le — no n e of th is c a n c h a n g e t h e f a c t s , a s e v e n th e P e n t a g o n s e e s t h e m : O f o u r tw e n ty - f iv e h u n d r e d m is s in g s e r v ic e m e n , a ll b u t a h a n d fu l a r e " p r e s u m e d d e a d ." T o d a y t h e D e f e n s e D e p a r t m e n t l i s t s o n ly n i n e s o ld i e r s , s a i l o r s , an d f l i e r s a s u n a c c o u n ta b ly m i s s i n g in a c t i o n , a n d o n e a s a p r i s o n e r o f w a r ; t h e P e n t a g o n a d m i t s it h a s n o e v i d e n c e t h a t a n y of th e s e te n A m e r ic a n s is a liv e . T h e tw e n ty - f iv e h u n d re d m is s in g r e p r e s e n t ju s t o v e r fo u r p e r c e n t o f th e f i f t y - s e v e n t h o u s a n d - o d d U .S . c o m b a t d e a t h s in I n d o c h i n a ; th e m i s s i n g r a t e in W o r ld W a r II a n d in t h e K o r e a n W a r w a s t w e n ty p e r c e n t of o u r fa ta l c a s u a ltie s . T h e r e p a t r i a ti o n of b o d ie s h a s b e c o m e a d i s g r a c e f u l m a tte r of d ip lo m a tic to -in g an d f r o - in g . T h e V i e t n a m e s e h a v e m u c h to a n s w e r f o r in n o t l e v e l i n g w ith s u c c e s s i v e U .S . A d m i n i s t r a t i o n s a b o u t th e c o f f i n s t h e y h a v e s t o c k p i l e d in H a n o i a s p o s t w a r b a r g a i n i n g c h i p s . N o o n e in a p o s i t i o n to k n o w d i s p u t e s t h a t th e V i e t n a m e s e a n d t h e i r L a o t io n c l i e n t s a r e w i t h h o l d i n g a g r e a t d e a l of i n f o r m a t i o n o n th e n u m b e r a n d l o c a t i o n o f d e a d A m e ric a n s . B u t w h a t c a n w e s a y a b o u t o u r s e l v e s in a l l t h i s ? We h a v e n 't e x t e n d e d a s i n g l e t e c h n i c a l h a n d to h e l p th e V i e t n a m e s e a n d L a o t i o n s d e f u s e th e m a n y t h o u s a n d s o f u n e x p lo d e d b o m b s t h a t p it th e f a c e o f I n d o c h i n a . It h a s g o n e v i r t u a l ly u n r e p o r t e d t h a t V i e t n a m e s e g r a v e s r e g i s t r a t i o n t e a m s l o o k in g f o r b o d i e s o f A m e r i c a n s h a v e s u f f e r e d s e v e n d e a t h s a n d t w e lv e s e r i o u s 1000 Years? i n j u r i e s f r o m a c c i d e n t s i n v o lv i n g l a n d m i n e s a n d liv e a n tip e r s o n n e l b o m b s . J u s t f o r th e r a s h h e l l o f i t , l e t u s n o t e t h a t W a s h i n g t o n h a s n e v e r b e e n e a g e r to t a k e p u b l i c m e a s u r e o f w h a t t h e i r c o l l i s i o n w ith P a x A m e r i c a n a c o s t th e V i e t n a m e s e . A J a n u a r y 1974 S e n a te c o m m itte e r e p o r t , h e r a l d e d h a r d ly a t a l l , p l a c e d th e 1 9 6 5 - 7 3 d e a t h c o u n t in S o u th V ie t N a m a l o n e a t 1 ,4 3 5 ,0 0 0 ; o f t h e s e 4 3 0 ,0 0 0 w e r e c i v i l i a n s . T h e In d o c h in a R e s o u r c e C e n te r in W a s h i n g t o n p u ts th e a l l - V i e t N a m f a t a l i t y f i g u r e , s o l d i e r a n d c i v i l i a n , N o r t h a n d S o u th , a t tw o m i l l i o n , a n d w o u n d e d a t t h r e e m i l l i o n . T h e U .S . A g e n c y f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t h a s th e s e fig u r e s on w a r - r e la te d d is a b le m e n ts d e a l t th e S o u th V i e t n a m e s e : a t o t a l o f 1 8 1 ,0 0 0 , b r e a k i n g d o w n to 8 3 ,0 0 0 a m p u t e e s , 8 ,0 0 0 p a r a p l e g i c s , 3 0 ,0 0 0 b l i n d e d , 1 0 ,0 0 0 r e n d e r e d d e a f , a n d 5 0 ,0 0 0 " o t h e r s . " T h e n u m b e r o f S o u th V i e t n a m e s e w ho w e re k ille d , w o u n d ed o r m a d e r e f u g e e s b e t w e e n 1 9 6 5 a n d 197 3, a c c o r d i n g t o U S A ID , c a m e to 1 3 ,4 5 7 ,8 2 2 . In c o n t r a s t , U . S. c o m b a t c a s u a l t i e s f o r a l l b r a n c h e s c a m e t o 3 6 4 ,4 4 9 : 1 5 5 ,4 1 9 w o u n d e d r e q u i r e d h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n , 1 5 0 ,3 7 5 d id n o t; 5 8 ,6 5 5 w e r e k i l l e d o r r e p o r t e d " m is s in g ." It r e m a i n s t o b e s a i d t h a t w e to o k a d e p r a v e d c lim b u p B o o t H ill a n d a d e s c e n t in to b a s e n e s s in o u r " d i s p o s i t i o n " o f t h o s e w e k i l l e d . T h e r e i s n o V i e t n a m e s e c o u n t e r p a r t to th e N a t i o n a l L e a g u e o f F a m i l i e s . O u r G I s , l ik e M i l l e t 's s o w e r s , w o u ld c a s t q u i c k l i m e o v e r s t a c k s o f th e h a te d C o n g , th e n s e e to th e d ig g in g of c o m m o n g r a v e s w ith b u l l d o z e r s o r c a l l in h e l i c o p t e r t t r a n s p o r t s to s l i n g - l o a d e n e m y b o d i e s o u t o v e r th e s e a f o r b u r i a l in a w a t e r y P o t t e r 's F i e l d . P e a s a n t w o m e n t h r o u g h o u t V ie t N a m u n d e rs to o d th a t th e ir h u s b a n d s an d so n s w e re t r e a t e d , in d e a t h , l i k e r o d e n t s o r w e e d s . T h e r e i s n o t a l k in t h e v i l l a g e s a n d h a m l e t s o f a n a c c o u n t i n g o f t h o s e w h o d i d n 't c o m e h o m e . L a st s u m m e r, an o ld e r g e n e ra tio n of A m e r i c a n s r e c k o n e d o n a n o l d e r w a r . In H o u s t o n , v e te r a n s of G e rm a n and A m e ric a n in fa n try u n i t s t h a t f a c e d o n e a n o t h e r in I t a l y a l m o s t fo rty y e a r s b e fo re d ra n k b e e r to g e th e r ,a te b a r b e c u e , a n d d a n c e d w ith o n e a n o t h e r 's w i v e s . G r e g o r y ( P a p p y ) B o y n to n , th e m a r i n e a c e w ho sh o t dow n tw e n ty -e ig h t J a p a n e s e w a r p la n e s o v e r th e S o u th P a c i f i c w a s th e f e a t u r e d s p e a k e r a t t h e Z e r o F i g h t e r P i l o t s A s s o c i a t i o n 's a n n u a l m e e t i n g in O s a k a . In th e B i s m a r c k A r c h i p e l a g o , on N e w B r i t a i n , a B -1 7 p ilo t fo u n d th e f u s e la g e of h is d o w n e d b o m b e r o n a h e a v i l y f o r e s t e d r i d g e . T h e o n ly s u r v i v o r o f h i s t e n - m a n c r e w , h e w o u n d u p in a PO W c a m p a t R a b a u l, w h e re h is J a p a n e s e c a p t o r s s t a r v e d a n d a b u s e d h i m f o r tw o y e a r s . T h is A ir F o r c e c a r e e r o f f ic e r s a id h e h e ld no g r u d g e s a g a i n s t th e o ld e n e m y . H e 's b e e n to J a p a n s e v e r a l t i m e s , a n d in 1971 w e n t o u t o f h i s w a y to r e u n i t e t h e r e w ith tw o o f h i s g u a r d s . H is o l d e s t d a u g h t e r is m a r r i e d to a J a p a n e s e . In B e a u f o r t , S o u th C a r o l i n a , th e a g e d p a r e n t s o f J o e H a r t l e y f i n a l l y g o t to b u r y t h e i r b o y , w h o s e r e m a i n s a G e r m a n f a r m e r h a d d u g u p in th e c o u r s e o f s p r i n g p lo w in g l a s t y e a r . P r i v a t e H a rtle y h ad b e e n k ille d c h a rg in g a G e rm a n e m p l a c e m e n t in t h e s p r i n g o f 1 9 4 5 , a n d h a d n e v e r b e e n fo u n d . He c a m e h o m e l a s t s u m m e r . Y ou h a v e to a s k w h e n o u r d e a l i n g s w ith th e V ie tn a m e s e w ill ta k e a s u m m e r y t u r n . T h e u n s p e a k a b le G e r m a n s , th e b a r b a r o u s J a p a n e s e , t h e C h i n e s e w h o f o u g h t u s to a s t a n d s t i l l in K o re a — a ll a r e o u r g r e a t good f r ie n d s now . W e f e e d th e R u s s i a n s , a n d m a n a t l e a s t a t o k e n d i p l o m a t i c o u t p o s t in H a v a n a . T h e V i e t n a m e s e ? T h ey h a v e b e e n s in g le d out fo r a la s tin g b i t t e r n e s s , an d it is little w o n d e r: A fte r w e had s tr e w n o u r n a tio n a l t r e a s u r e a b o u t t h e i r c o u n t r y , t h e y w e n t a n d c h a s e d u s o u t. T h e w a r c a m e d o w n to a s o r t o f u n r e q u i t e d p o t l a t c h . O u r f e e l i n g s w e r e d e e p l y h u r t . T h e V i e t n a m e s e h a d th e b a d m a n n e r s to w in . W e h a v e o u td o n e o u r s e l v e s in o u r a n t i - C o m m u n i s t f o o l i s h n e s s in m a k i n g th e m a p a r ia h s ta t e . V ie t N a m m u o n n a m ! V i e t N a m f o r a t h o u s a n d y e a r s . I t 's a s l o g a n , a c a s u a l r e m a r k o f good c h e e r sp o k e n a t one o c c a s io n o r a n o th e r by a ll V ie tn a m e s e . B ut w h a t fo r th e m is a t o a s t , s o u n d s l i k e a n e x o t i c c u r s e t o u s . It w o n 't g o a w a y , V i e t N a m , n o t u n t i l w e e x p l o r e th e r e d e m p tiv e p o s s i b i l i t i e s of p e a c e a n d f o r g iv e n e s s th ro u g h r e c o n s tr u c tio n an d r e p a r a t i o n , w h ic h i s w h a t w e p r o m i s e d in P a r i s te n y e a r s a g o . It r e a l l y i s n ' t f o r u s to b e a r a g r u d g e a g a i n s t th e V i e t n a m e s e . A nd w e m i g h t f i l l t h a t c r y p t in A r l i n g t o n , a n d g e t o n w ith th e b u s i n e s s of m a k i n g s u r e w e h a v e n o m o r e u n k n o w n s o l d i e r s . If t h e r e a r e , i f w e f i g h t a g a i n , n o h o l e o n a V i r g i n i a h i l l s i d e w ill b e u p to th e j o b . It w i l l t a k e a c r a t e r s e v e r a l t h o u s a n d y a r d s a c r o s s . B u t t h e n th e c r a t e r w i l l c o m e r e a d y m a d e : W e w o n 't n e e d g r a v e d ig g e rs . L a w r e n c e W a ls h i s a n a s s o c i a t e e d i t o r of T h e P r o g r e s s i v e m a g a z i n e , f r o m w h ic h h is a r t i c l e i s r e p r i n t e d . He w a s a c o m b a t c a m e r a m a n w ith th e S a ig o n b u r e a u o f C B S N e w s in 1 9 6 8 , a n d w o r k e d on th e t e l e v i s i o n s p e c i a l , " H i l l 9 4 3 ."